A public retailer: cheaper electricity for all Victorians

Quick Facts

Private companies are making $400 million a year selling overpriced electricity

The Greens Plan

Create Power Victoria, a public electricity retailer

Save households $320 a year

Provide Victorians with electricity from clean, renewable sources

The Liberal's privatisation has failed

When Kennett handed over our electricity system to private corporations to make a profit, it made electricity more expensive, less reliable and kept it dirty. Prices have increased by 170% since 1995.

Electricity is an essential service that every Victorian needs to live a good life. We need an electricity system run for people, not profit.

Corporate price-gouging must end

Victorian private electricity retailers make over $400 million a year selling us overpriced electricity. Private retailers are gouging Victorians and it’s time this stopped.

Unfair retail charges

The average Victorian pays $437 a year in private retail charges. Right now, about 30% of our bill is private retail charges.

Confusing marketing

An Independent Review into Victoria’s electricity and gas retail market suggested up to 39% of the operating cost of existing private retailers is spent on marketing and advertising.

Corporate profits

In 2014 the Grattan Institute estimated that the retail profit margin on an average Victorian electricity bill was 17%. That money is pure profit for sending us a bill and harassing us with marketing.

Old parties in the pockets of energy companies

The Labor and Liberal Party are addicted to privatisation and the corporate donations they receive from private retailers.

Since 2010 AGL, Energy Australia and Origin have donated over $350,000 to Victorian Labor, Liberals and the Nationals. Private electricity retailers are ripping off Victorians, while Labor and the Liberals profit from big corporate donations.

Power Victoria: A bold solution

The Greens have a plan to create a public retailer, mandated to run at-cost, saving Victorians on average $320 a year on their power bills.

No more unfair charges

No more corporate profits

No more confusing marketing

Run for people not corporate profits

The Greens will establish Power Victoria as a publicly owned electricity provider.

Power Victoria will provide lower-cost services, pushing no-longer competitive private electricity retailers out of the market.

Power Victoria won’t make a profit. Instead it will run ‘at-cost’ ensuring cheap, clean and reliable electricity for every Victorian.

How much will it cost?

The Greens will commit $1 million to look into the set up of Power Victoria.

We estimate that once established, Power Victoria will be cost neutral because it will be run to cover the cost of operations - with the main priority being providing cheap, reliable and clean electricity to every Victorian.

Our modelling indicates that once set up, Power Victoria will save the average Victorian $320 a year.